BOLIVARIAN REPUBLIC OF VENEZUELA：OPPOSITION LEADER SENTENCED UNJUSTLY

Opposition leader Leopoldo López has been sentenced to 13 years and 9 months in prison. He is a prisoner of conscience and must be released immediately and unconditionally.

On 10 September Leopoldo López was found guilty of inciting violence during an anti-government protest on 12 February 2014. He was sentenced to 13 years and 9 months in prison for the charges of conspiracy, incitement to commit a crime, arson, and damage to public property.

Leopoldo López, leader of opposition party Popular Will, has been in detention since 18 February 2014 in a military prison in Los Teques, on the outskirts of the capital, Caracas. The charges against Leopoldo López were never adequately substantiated and the prison sentence against him is politically motivated.

In August 2014, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention said that Leopoldo López’s detention was arbitrary and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights urged the authorities to release him immediately.

Christian Holdack, Demian Martín and Ángel González, who were tried alongside Leopoldo López, were also found guilty but will spend their sentences outside of prison.

Venezuelan authorities are showing a lack of respect for dissenting views as opposition politicians are the target of politically-motivated charges and human rights defenders are under continuous attacks and smear and intimidation campaigns from the authorities at the highest level. This is an in an attempt to discourage them from voicing their opposition to government laws and policies and has an effect beyond the immediate individuals targeted. The cumulative chilling effect can deter others from expressing critical views to government policies and actions.

During the pro and anti-government protests that took place in Venezuela between February and July 2014, at least 43 people died, including six members of the security forces, and 878 were injured, of which approximately 300 were members of the security forces, as a result of excessive use of force and violence perpetrated by law enforcement officials, anti-government protestors and armed pro-government groups. Some victims were subjected to torture and other ill-treatment.

Take action

Please write immediately in Spanish or your own language:

Calling on the authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Leopoldo López, as he is a prisoner of conscience who was arbitrarily detained and sentenced without any credible evidence against him;

Urging them to ensure that those still detained since the 2014 protests do not remain in detention arbitrarily.